I love nato straps, especially in summer!
Here is my Meistersinger 1Z with Dutch colors.
Here is my Meistersinger 1Z with Dutch colors.
NATO straps
- Thread starter Alacrity59
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- #22
That's a nice combo Wim.
Sorry for the late reply , I was mine in a washbag in the washing machine
No problem. When I can, I am going to order a couple to give them a try. Where do you get yours?
Over a few years I have placed a couple of orders from CheapestNatoStraps and been satisfied with their quality. I have a few of their nylon Nato as well as leather ones. The leather Nato is essentially a long piece of dyed leather, not double stitched or otherwise padded since it needs to be thin enough to fit behind the watch pins. So it that sense their leather natos are nothing special but I found them to be durable and comfortable for both a lighter quartz watch and heavier automatic.
A few years ago bought a few of their nylon Zulu straps which were the most comfortable to wear while typing since the keeper was made of the same nylon material making the profile very thin with nothing to stick into the wrist while resting on the desk....but when I check her site just now I do not see that style for sale any longer, only Zulus with metal keepers. Technically those are not Natos but that term is loosely used to refer any nylon strap, especially ones with regiment stripes, so I mention it here.
And most recently bought one of their Perlon straps (again there is debate on what exactly is a Perlon strap since strictly speaking the name refers to a specific type of Nylon with desirable properties of strength and lightness, but most people refer to any twisted weave strap as a Perlon). The advantage of this strap is finer adjustment steps. The disadvantage is that its lighter weight does not work as well with a large heavy watch IMO.
I have also ordered Natos from an ebay Chinese vendor. These were quite inexpensive, so much so they could be rightfully called "Dirt Cheapest Nato Straps". Although those were not quite as nice as CheapestNatos and were a little shorter. But the shortness was advantage in my case since it was not absolutely necessary to tuck the excess strap length.
Based on my research neither of those vendors makes the best quality strap, that if you want a single strap to wear for years maybe they are not the best source. Though I think most of my CheapestNatos will last a good long time, as long as the average quality leather strap and the main intent is to have some cheap bands to between seasons or mood.
A few years ago bought a few of their nylon Zulu straps which were the most comfortable to wear while typing since the keeper was made of the same nylon material making the profile very thin with nothing to stick into the wrist while resting on the desk....but when I check her site just now I do not see that style for sale any longer, only Zulus with metal keepers. Technically those are not Natos but that term is loosely used to refer any nylon strap, especially ones with regiment stripes, so I mention it here.
And most recently bought one of their Perlon straps (again there is debate on what exactly is a Perlon strap since strictly speaking the name refers to a specific type of Nylon with desirable properties of strength and lightness, but most people refer to any twisted weave strap as a Perlon). The advantage of this strap is finer adjustment steps. The disadvantage is that its lighter weight does not work as well with a large heavy watch IMO.
I have also ordered Natos from an ebay Chinese vendor. These were quite inexpensive, so much so they could be rightfully called "Dirt Cheapest Nato Straps". Although those were not quite as nice as CheapestNatos and were a little shorter. But the shortness was advantage in my case since it was not absolutely necessary to tuck the excess strap length.
Based on my research neither of those vendors makes the best quality strap, that if you want a single strap to wear for years maybe they are not the best source. Though I think most of my CheapestNatos will last a good long time, as long as the average quality leather strap and the main intent is to have some cheap bands to between seasons or mood.
Thanks.
I have one on my Seiko scuba divers watch.
Black with orange strip.
Black with orange strip.
I have an olive drab one on my simple Timex Weekender. I got it to match my uniform, I may need to branch out since becoming a civilian.
For a long time I looked at NATO straps and thought y'all were just hip fashion setters.
Recently watch straps in resin and steel have been irritating my wrist. With purchase of Casio MDV106 I thought I'd venture into NATO.
Y'all didn't tell me they were much more comfortable than any other strap. So far so good.
Recently watch straps in resin and steel have been irritating my wrist. With purchase of Casio MDV106 I thought I'd venture into NATO.
Y'all didn't tell me they were much more comfortable than any other strap. So far so good.
I have three - all from Panatime.com. A burgundy (26 mm), a black/silver "Bond" style (also a 26 mm) and a orange/black stripe (24 mm). Replaced rubber straps on a couple of my Invicta's.
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- #32
What is the difference between NATO and Zulu?
Natos have the extra half segment of strap that fits under the watch to help keep the pins or any other watch part from touching the body. So there are two layers of strap underneath the watch case, one through the watch pins and one below that. And the strap is often longer than needed when worn on a bare wrist, so the long tail needs to be folded back out of the way. Where a Zulu is a single long piece of strap, much like a belt one wears with their pants, and is usually not excessively long. Where the tail can be fitted neatly into the keeper just like a leather strap would look.
Often times Zulu straps are made from a thicker and more durable material. But that all varies on the manufacturer. In many cases people use Zulu and Nato interchangeably, since they are quite similar in design and use. Both typically made from some blend of Nylon though leather ones are also popular.
Perlon straps are a third variant in the same general Nato & Zulu family. It looks and functions much like a Zulu strap except the fabric is woven much like those nylon bracelets one may see. Strictly speaking Perlon is a specific form of Nylon which was first used in these straps ~50 years ago, but now different blends are used so the label is now generally applied to any woven strap. They are typically thinner and lighter weight and the buckle can be easily adjusted to take up excess length.
Often times Zulu straps are made from a thicker and more durable material. But that all varies on the manufacturer. In many cases people use Zulu and Nato interchangeably, since they are quite similar in design and use. Both typically made from some blend of Nylon though leather ones are also popular.
Perlon straps are a third variant in the same general Nato & Zulu family. It looks and functions much like a Zulu strap except the fabric is woven much like those nylon bracelets one may see. Strictly speaking Perlon is a specific form of Nylon which was first used in these straps ~50 years ago, but now different blends are used so the label is now generally applied to any woven strap. They are typically thinner and lighter weight and the buckle can be easily adjusted to take up excess length.
That's a good question, I'm not sure what the precise difference is really although as StillShaving said Zulus tend to be thick. Both seem to be offered in a 3 and a 5 ring version with the latter having an extra layer of strap under the back of the watch. The pic shows a 5 ring Zulu. I don't actually like it very much - it's bulky and fussy and doesn't really add useful functionality IMO. However, it's fun to wear once in a while.
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I love NATO straps and have small collection. They're so easy to clean; I just place them in the bottom of a jeans front pocket and chuck into the washing machine. The ZULUs are too bulky for me.
Here's a (somewhat blurry) pic of my super simple read-at-a-glance favorite:
Here's a (somewhat blurry) pic of my super simple read-at-a-glance favorite:
What @StillShaving described was the difference between a 3-ring ZULU and a NATO.
To make the topic more complex, there is also a critter known as the 5-ring ZULU, which is worn / attached to the watch exactly the same as a NATO strap, but with beefier hardware.
To make the topic more complex, there is also a critter known as the 5-ring ZULU, which is worn / attached to the watch exactly the same as a NATO strap, but with beefier hardware.
My grey Zulu was getting ratty but was too cheap to order a new one, but I had an accessory strap from my issued rucksack kicking around so I took the old hardware and stitched a new strap. It's about 1mm too wide but not too noticeable at first glance. Funny thing is this strap still has the NSN description faintly visible for "Strap, Sleeping Bag."
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The more I wear this the more I like it. Much less irritating than metal or silicone.
NATO straps are good for some watches, look silly on others. However, they are cheap and you can change the look of a watch easily with a different strap.
I just bought a Casio MDV106-1A myself and I really love it. Just ordered a Nato strap, black with grey stripes today. Cannot wait until it arrives.
Tim
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